TEMPE, Ariz. – The force was with the Golden Bears on Saturday afternoon in their most lopsided victory in Pac-12 play this season.
 
California (28-26, 5-17 Pac-12) found its largest win margin in conference with an 8-3 showing against Arizona State to force a rubber match Sunday.
 
Another standout day for senior ace Kamalani Dung highlighted the Bears first win against the Sun Devils since 2017, when Cal upset a then 22nd-ranked ASU 3-0 in Tempe to help earn a postseason bid.
 
Dung threw six strikeouts in her complete game effort, and has collected 13 in the first two games of the series after stepping in as relief Friday. The Waianae, Hawaii native, was working through a one-hit shutout for five innings, before the Bears defense allowed three runs across the final two frames.
 
But even ASU's late offensive effort was made difficult by the Bears. Aside from Dung's command of the circle, the biggest defensive highlight came in the bottom of the sixth from Cal's number two hitter freshman Amani Bradley playing in center.
 
Bradley, who was an offensive highlight reel as well, going 4-for-4 on the day, got it done on both sides of the ball. As ASU (29-18, 9-11 Pac-12) tried to pick up  momentum, the freshman bolted to left center and snatched a high flyer right at the fence to prevent a home run off the bat of ASU senior Skylar McCarty, who ranks 11th in The Conference with 42 runs.
 
Cal was in attack mode from the start of the game. The Bears raked and recorded their first double-digit hit game in a league outing since April 14, a 4-1 win versus Oregon State. The 14-hit outing was also the first time since Feb. 23 vs New Mexico State, but just shy of the season-best 16 hits, earned on three occasions.
 
Seven different Bears recorded hits in the outing with a five-run inning keeping a comeback out of reach for the Sun Devils.
 
Cal went ahead 1-0 after senior Lindsay Rood (3-for-5) made her way home on a ground out from Lauren Espalin in the opening half. The Pac-12 hits and stolen bases leader, jumpstarted the inning with a single and finished the day with her 77th hit of the season.

Rood also stole her 30th base of the season and remains perfect although the swipe came in dramatic fashion as she slid into third and ASU's baseman dropped the ball. In the last two season's, the Danville, Calif., resident has been caught just once and it was also an attempt on third.
 
In the fifth, Cal did the most damage with Alexandra Perez (0-for-3), Rood, Lauren Espalin (1-for-3), Makena Smith and Karlee Sparacino (2-for-3) finding the plate in order. Smith topped the ledger with three RBIs on a 1-for-3 clip with her lone hit sailing over the right-center fence to bring in two runs and move Cal ahead 5-0. The freshman catcher also brought Rood, who led with three runs, home on a sac fly.
 
The Bears found production throughout the order and got a late RBI double from sophomore Mikayla Coelho, who is slowly recovering from an eight-game slump that she went without a hit. Coelho started in the 7-hole in right and got her second hit of the weekend to bring in Sparacino to move ahead 7-0.
 
While playoff contention is still unlikely for the Bears who opened the week ranked 63rd in the RPI, the W puts Cal in position to get its first series win against ASU since 2012 when it took the opening two games of the set. ASU sat in 27th in the RPI to open the series.
 
The moment is also special for Dung, who is playing against her former head coach and ASU's skipper, Trisha Ford. Ford led Dung for her first collegiate season at Fresno State, before taking over the ASU program. Dung transferred to Cal after her sophomore year with the Bulldogs.
 
"It's amazing coming full circle and finishing up my last collegiate series against my freshman year roommate and coach," said Dung, who lived with ASU's outfielder Morgan Howe during their time in Fresno. "I think it's amazing that things are finally starting to fall Cal's way and we've been able to knock off two of the best hitting teams in the nation these last few weeks."
 
Cal closes its regular season tomorrow with a noon (PT) start for the getaway day game. The contest will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Networks.
 
For more information on Cal softball, follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @CalSB.